I’ve been busy with other projects, so you’ll have to forgive my lack of contact.

But this morning I can hold back no longer.

And I need your sympathetic listening ears…

Let me begin by saying I’m the sort of person who buys quality items.

I don’t mind paying more for something if it will last or do the job well.

So as a musician (I use the term loosely, but it sounds good, no?), the quality of the sound I listen to is paramount.

I demand the best when it comes to sound systems and headphones. In fact I think my stereo set up is worth more than my car, but there we are…

Even the little ear buds I use in my ipod have to be ‘just so’ otherwise I’m not the most affable person to live with.

So I ordered my favourite brand of ear buds after my old ones wore out (and I mean wore out; the sound only came through one ear, which doesn’t exactly equate to an earth-shattering listening experience).

This morning the postman woke me up at 6:30 to take receipt of my new earphones – yipee!

What’s an early morning to endure when there are presents in the post?

But my joy soon turned to frustration in every sense of the word.

For starters it took me over 5 minutes to get into the packaging. Oh yes, frustration packaging at its best.

(Mind you, that could have something to do with the fact that a certain someone in the household had run off with the scissors and I was left wielding a knife).

So there I am struggling with a kitchen knife, having the most un-Buddhist like of thoughts about where I’d REALLY like to plunge the knife, when I finally got into the plastic packaging.

Then one of the spare ear cups pings out across the floor, under the sofa and into the land of dust bunnies.

Another escapes under the cooker – the Cooker I’m telling ya.

Another disappears completely; so put off by my wrath it’s clearly never going to come close again.

I eventually rounded up all the escapees and plugged in. Thankfully the music soothed this eco-worrier’s soul and I was soon blissed out.

But then I looked at all the packaging and you’ll know exactly what I mean when I ask “Is our future sustainable?”

You’ve have heard all the figures that we need two, three or even more planets to sustain our current lifestyle and this photo illustrates perfectly that sentiment.

Look at it and weep, dear readers. It’s a game of spot the headphones…

You’ll see a large cardboard box, a big ball of scumpled up brown paper to hold the tiny package in place inside the large cardboard box, lots of bits of plastic, numerous advertising campaigns and my favourite – the 13 page warranty…

What about you – any frustration / excessive packaging stories to share?

I am a long time supporter of the Green and Sustainable lifestyle. After being caught in the Boscastle floods in 2004, our family begun a journey to respect and promote the importance of Earth's fragile ecosystem, that focussed on reducing waste. Inspired by the beauty and resourcefulness of this wonderful planet, I have published numerous magazine articles on green issues and the author of four books.